News

Assault with a deadly lemon

Police say a 41-year-old Mountain View woman was injured when her neighbor and his friend hit her in the stomach with an unripe lemon.

According to police spokesperson Liz Wylie, the suspects — Casey Olson, 18, and his 17-year-old companion — were throwing hard, unripe lemons at the victim's house on Starr Way when she stepped outside and was struck by one of the fruits just after midnight on Nov. 26.

The victim had some welts and bruises where the lemon hit her, Wylie said, and the incident has been classified as assault with a deadly weapon.

"A deadly weapon can be anything," Wylie said, adding that the projectile weighed more than a baseball.

Police arrested both suspects that night. Olson, who lives across the street from the victim, and his friend were charged with assault with a deadly weapon. The 17-year-old, also a Mountain View resident, additionally was charged with violating probation, Wylie said.

Posted by Drew Seutter
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Dec 1, 2009 at 11:42 am

If you pardon the pun, it sounds like these two kids might be bad apples, but I wonder if tossing a few lemons warrants their being arrested? I guess everyone will have a chance to tell their side of the story to the judge.

What is wrong with you idiots? Does someone have to suffer serious injuries before you punish them for breaking the law. Include your address and I'll bet we can some find some thug to test your liberal
attitudes toward assault, after you have been pummeled with some type of appropriate items. What do you suppose the offense was that the one was "violated" on?

So Thanksgiving night a lady has her house hit by hard lemons - she most likely had no clue what the noise was and opened up her door to see - probably was asleep after a long day of cooking and cleaning up - you are right, there ARE two sides to a story, but I sure would be disconcerted to be awoken by the noise of unidentified objects hitting my home and open my door and be hit with one.
Sounds like the neighbors had nothing better to do at midnight than harass this lady... and to have welts and bruises it also sounds like the young adults were throwing these with a lot of force. People need to accept responsibility for their actions - if these young adults, one of whom is already on probation, think it is funny to harass people in the middle of the night they may well have expected a confrontation. I wouldn't want to live near them...sound like horrible neighbors.

unripe lemons/rocks/pine cones......what is the differnece? it is definitley assault no question about it, you have to punish people who do crap like this.....i do agree that this is NOT a news worthy item tho.....but then again it is mountain view...

Posted by kanank
a resident of Shoreline West
on Dec 1, 2009 at 3:39 pm

This news makes Mountain View with one person less happy about living in this town. THese 2 kids deliberately threw the lemons to hurt her. she should have called the cops first if she heard pelting noises instead of stepping out and getting hurt.

To the people who are asking if it is newsworthy: We are fortunate that we are able to focus on things like this and not be in a city that has 100 homicides or other crimes to deal with day-in-and-out.

If the work "baseball" was substituted for "lemon" in the report would it sound so humorous? It was reported that the lemons were the size and weight of baseballs...is it funny to be hit in the stomach with a baseball?

This behavior is completely unacceptable. Injuring another person is not my idea of civilization. Who's going to put a stop to this, neighbors? The police response is more than appropriate. I am outraged, throw the book at the perpetrators. And their parents for good measure.

Posted by joe
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Dec 1, 2009 at 10:05 pm

Just a few months ago, there was a thread about people stealing fruit from yards. Everyone called for police action and punishment. Now you want to give these two idiots a pass? Substitute word "rocks" for "lemons". What is the difference?

I have been practicing law for 35 years now and if there is one thing I have learned is never trust what the police say. They tend to dramatize a situation and especially in a case like this where they made an arrest for something that does not seem to make any sense. To be honest, I believe the police are just trying cover for themselves and make it seem like they were protecting a citizen in need when really it was some sort of strange accident that could have been easily dealt with.

I have been practicing law for 35 years now and if there is one thing I have learned is never trust what the police say. They tend to dramatize a situation and especially in a case like this where they made an arrest for something that does not seem to make any sense. To be honest, I believe the police are just trying cover for themselves and make it seem like they were protecting a citizen in need when really it was some sort of strange accident that could have been easily dealt with.

Yes, substitute the word baseball or rock for lemon and it is not humerus. But the fact is it was a lemon, and my question for the police spokeswoman is how can a unripe lemon weigh more than a baseball?

The unemployed ambulance chasers always look for clients under every rock. Obviously the aforesaid lawyer ain't practicing law, or anything, any more.I would trust a cop with a mouthful of doughnuts and a doughnut in each hand before I trust a lawyer.

As a parent, if my 18-year old son and his 17-year old friend (friend on probation) were throwing ANYTHING at my neighbors at any time day or night, that son would be asked to leave. To be doing this after midnight is so unexcusable.
People need to quit justifying bad behavior. If your mother (substiute sister, grandmother, girfriend, daughter) had this happen to her, I hope that you would feel outraged.
These are not misguided elementary school students with no sense of consequences or of cause and effect...these are people old enough to work, old enough to drive, and one is old enough to vote. They want adult priviledges and responsibiities, then they should act responsibly. And to the lawyer... how in the world can you excuse this behavior!?!

Posted by heartfulart
a resident of Waverly Park
on Dec 2, 2009 at 4:00 pm

Where were these kids' parents?

What they need to do is some real community service helping people - that would force them to get their priorities straight. If people taught their kids to be compassionate and have good ethics they might just grow up to be responsible, caring adults. And I also suggest turning off the video games - they only encourage kids to act out in hostile ways.

Posted by Denis Byaliy
a resident of Castro City
on Dec 2, 2009 at 4:08 pm

Hey my name is Denis, i am the accoplice to this assault. Me n my friend were throwing lemos at a tree at one in the morning. I accidentally nailed that lady. The police were messing with us hella bad but it was deffinatly the funniest arrest that has ever happened to me. By the way the charge got dropped and i DID NOT

Posted by Denis Byaliy
a resident of Castro City
on Dec 2, 2009 at 4:12 pm

Hey i am the accoplice to this assault. Me n my friend were throwing lemons at a tree at midnight and i accidentaly nailed caseys neighbor with the lemon. It was accidental but the MVPD didnt see this as an accident. We both got locked up for 24 hrs. This was deffinatly the funniest arrest ever. I couldnt stop cracking up. My charge got dropped and i DID NOT get violated on probation. So i hope the two cops had fun with the paper work and the drive to Guadalpe parkway hahahahahahaah.

Posted by appalled
a resident of North Whisman
on Dec 2, 2009 at 4:36 pm

The comment from Denis is a joke, right? If not, I really hope that you can turn your life around into something worthwhile and productive. How sad that you think this is all a joke. What a waste and lack of appreciation of your life. You live when you are not at war, have food and clean water; what kind of life do you have or want to be so shallow?!

Posted by USA
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Dec 2, 2009 at 10:25 pmUSA is a registered user.

David, 35 years of being an apologist for criminals appears to have twisted your perception of reality. While this isn't the level of an Oakland gang shootout, it is more than just a small town Tom Sawyer prank.

The Denis posting is obviously a joke. No one is that stupid ... then again, if you are 17 and already on probation ...